I love both bands(America & Eagles). ATMOF, I love all of the bands mentioned in this thread and what they meant to me during that time.
I remember when most of those bands got their start on the radio and where I was when I first heard the bands on the radio. I remember the people who I was with, where we were, the car I was driving, the girl I was dating etc.
Speaking of the EAGLES, I think their longevity has to do more with their comeback(Hell Freezes Over) in '94 than their history prior to that comeback. Yes, the Eagles have a great history but the fact that they're still touring in such a strong way, keeps their memory alive in an overpowering but good way. America the band, is still touring but their shows are less intense. However they too still sound great live after 50+ years. Just not as well produced as the Eagles.
Im the music world just like Hollywood it has always been about two things. Talent #1 and that gets you almost no place at all without #2 Promotion. The Eagles were no bodies and struggling. Jackson Browne
(long time friend to Henley + Frey) was signed to Geffen records. David Geffen trusted him. Jackson provided David Geffen with several Eagles demo tapes before they were even known as The Eagles. The next giant leap for the Eagles was when they made their deal with
"the devil," Irving Azoff who managed many big names and owned the super talented Joe Walsh. The simple act of Azoff putting Joe Walsh into the Eagles changed the whole game. Instantly doubled the fan base and brought them hard rock credentials. No longer looked at as some weak country rock act, Henley and Frey both said they were automatically treated differently , even by the music media with Walsh on board. The Eagles careers sky rocketed the moment they started making music and performing with Don Felder & Joe Walsh on stage with them. Promotion never stopped for the Eagles. From the end of making The Long Run album & breaking up, their manager never stopped managing them and preparing for the return you mention. Hell Feezes Over was years in the making! Their manger even managed to keep it a complete secret for two years after The Long Run that they were no longer an active band. Managing Walsh & The Eagles has made Irving Azoff one of the most wealthy and powerful people in music and eventually even in Hollywood.
Irving Azoff (
/ˈeɪzɒf/; born December 12, 1947) is an American entertainment executive and chairman of Full Stop Management, which represents recording artists. In the mid-1980s, he brought success to
MCA Records.
Since September 2013, he has been chairman and CEO of Azoff MSG Entertainment, a venture with
The Madison Square Garden Company. Prior to this he served as chairman and CEO of
Ticketmaster Entertainment and was executive chairman of
Live Nation Entertainment and CEO of Front Line Management. He is also on the board of
Starz Inc. and
IMG.
[1]
In 2012, he topped
Billboard's Power 100 and was named the most powerful person in the music industry.
In January 2020, Azoff was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an
Ahmet Ertegun Award winner.
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